Transporting means for road rollers and the like



, c. F. GREINER Aug. 3, 1937.

TRANSPORTING MEANS FOR ROAD ROLLERS AND THE LI Filed Oct. 17, 1936 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l Zinnentor.

I GttorpegG Aug; 3, 1937. c. F. GREINER TRANSPORTING MEANS FOR ROAD ROLLERS AND THE LIKE Filed 001:. 17, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 3, 1937 PATENT OFFICE TRANSPORT INGM'EANS FOR noAn ROLL- Ens AND THE. LIKE Greiner, Springfield, Ohio, assignor to The Buffalo-Springfield Roller 00., Sp

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio V Application October 17, 1936, Serial No. 106,5{1'7 jioiai s (erase-soy Thisinvention is a novel transporting means which may be applied quickly and readily to road rollers and/or like heavy slow-moving machines or vehicles to adapt same for fast transportation 5 from one job to another. For certain classes of road construction, such as for paving filling stations, private roadways and paths, and forpatch work'on city and country streets and roads; it is desirable to utilize a small road roller which 1 can be easily and quickly transported to and-from the work. It is also very desirable that when the roller is atwork, it will'perform as a standard road roller. 7 p j The principal object of my inventionis-toprovide readily attachabletransporting means'dneluding pneumatic or other cushion wheels which may be attached to the rear corners of the frame of the road roller or the like to maintain the ordinary rear ground roll-of the road roller raised above the ground; and also'to provide readily connectible draft and suspension means at the front end'of the road roller or the like, whereby the front end of same may be suspended from therear end of the chassis of a towing g5 truck with the front orsteering roll ofthe 'road roller raised above the ground, in order thatthe road rolleror like vehicle or machine may be drawn quickly and at relatively high speeds from one job on a road to another.

A further object of the invention is to provide the rear end of the vehicle frame with a permanently attached tubular member into which member the stubshafts of'pneumatic orother cushioned wheels may'be inserted and locked 3-5 when it is desired to transport the roller, the

tubular member being so arranged that when the road. roller is at work onthe job, the stub shafts are readily removed, leaving no parts extending beyondthe roller frame, thus allowing the roller 40 to work close to curbs, trees, and other. fixed objects; the said cushioned wheels cooperating with novel suspending and drawingmeansat-thegfront end of the roller frame which maybe quickly engaged with towing devices such as draw'bars at the rear end of the towing truck,'to' support the front end of the :frame and'p'ermitithe road roller thus equipped with my transporting means to trail the towing truck safely at relatively high speeds.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one practical embodiment thereof to enable others to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims the novel features of cons ruction verging and terminating in a goose-neck portion and novel combinations of parts for which protection is desired. In said drawing'sz- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a conventional road roller of the tandem type showing my novel 5 readily attachable transporting wheels supporting the rear end of the road roller frame so that therear ground roll thereof is maintained above the road surface; also showing the front end of the road roller frame engaged with the suspend- 10 mg and towingmeans ,ofthe towing truck, in which position the front steering roll is likewise maintained raised above the road surface.

Fig. 2 is aview similar to Fig. 1 showing .the road roller supported upon the wedge blocks used for elevating the road roller into position for attachment'of the rear transporting wheels; and for connection of the front end of the roller frame to the draw bar of the towing truck.

, Fig. 3 is a transversesection on the line 3-3,

Fig. 1.

Fig.4 is a section similar to Fig, 3 but showing the stub axleiof the transporting wheel removed from the tubular member, which latter is permanently mounted on the road roller frame.

As' shown, the road roller is of conventional tandem type, having a frame comprising side i members A reinforced at their lower ends by channel ironsA', said side members carrying the usualrnotor or engine (not shown). The rear ends of channel ironsA are connected together by a channel iron A A driving roll B is journaled inthe side members adjacent their rear ends, the front ends of the side members con- Coverlying the front steering roll D. The yoke D of the front'steering roll is mounted. in trunnions in the front end of the goose-neck C in the usual manner. The road roller thus far describediis of conventionaltandem type, the details thereof forming no part of my present invention.

' Secured to the front end of goose-neck C is a casting l disposed on the longitudinal axis ofthe road, roller frame, said casting having a tapped bore 2 receiving a coupling pin 3 threaded thrbughout the major portion of its length toengage thebore-Lpin 3 carrying on its upper end a hand wheel 4 whereby same may be manually rotated to raise and lower same. Pin 3 has a collar 5 thereon spaced from its lower end, and the portion of the pin below the collar is cylindrical as at 3a and adapted to snugly engage a hole 6a of smaller diameter than the collar 5 in a draw bar 6 secured to the rear end of the chassis of a towing truck T on the center line thereof. Draw bar 6 is disposed at such height with respect to the casting I that when the cylindrical portion 3a of the pin is engaged in the hole Go, as shown in Fig. 1, the front end of the road roller frame will be supported by and suspended from the towing truck, and the steering roll'D of the road roller will be maintained above the road surface. The cylindrical portion 3a of pin 3, being of greater length than the thickness of draw bar 6, extends below same when the pin is engaged with hole 6a, and theextending portion is provided with a transverse hole 3b to receive a bolt I which prevents withdrawal of pin 3'from the hole 6a when the parts are assembled as in Fig. 1. g

As the rear end of the road roller frame is a plate 8 extending between the. ends of the channel irons A and permanently secured by rivets or the like to the top leg of channel iron'A said 7 plate as shown projecting :rearwardly beyond thereof.

{receive pins I I tires I3; and the hubs vided with collars I la (Fig.

the ends of the channel iron. Beneath the projecting portion of plate 8 is a; tube 9, permanently secured to the underside of plate 8 by means of U-bolts I passing under tube 9, the legs thereof passing upwardly through perforations in plate 8 and provided with nuts on the upper ends Suitable filler blocks I are disposed between tube 9 and plate 8 at the U-bolts whereby the tube is securely and fixedly clamped in position to become a permanent part of the frame. Tube 9 is of such length that no portion thereof extends beyond thelimits of sideframes A. Extending through plate 8 and through tube 9, adjacent each end thereof, are holes 8a and 9a respectively (Fig. 4) which are aligned so as to for the purpose hereinafter described. v V

The transporting wheels I2 are provided with rims I2a receiving pneumatic or other cushion I2b of the wheels are preferably mountedby means of ball or roller .bearings I20 on stub shafts I4 adapted to snugly fit the ends of tube 9, said stub shafts beingpro- 4) adjacent the hubs and with transverse bores Mb adaptedwhen the stub shafts are inserted in tube 9 as shown in Fig.

3 to align with the holes 8a, 9w respectively in plate 8 and tube 9, whereby the pins II maybe dropped therethrough to securely lock the stub shafts in the tube. When the pins II are removed, however, the stub shafts III'may be readily withdrawn from-the tube, as shown in Fig. 4.

By the above construction, when it is'desired to transport the normal slow-moving road roller to a new location, wedge blocks I 6I 6 (Fig. 2) are laid on the ground adjacent the peripheries of the front and rear rolls D and B, and the road roller is run by its own power onto the .tops of the wedge blocks as shown in Fig. 2. In this position the road roller will be maintained sufficiently raised above the ground surface that the stub shafts of transporting wheels I2 may be insertedfinthe ends of tube 9, andfthe, lower end of towing pin 3 will pass over the top of draw bar Ii of the towi'n'g truck asshown in Fig. 2. The stub axles I4, equippedwith cushiontires, are then inserted and locked by pins II in each end of tube 9, and the towingtruck '1 is backed up into proper position so that the threaded pin 3 can be screwed down by hand wheel 4 into the hole 6a in the draw bar 6, and locked therein by means of bolt 1. The towing truck can now be driven away safely and at relatively high speed with the road roller trailing the front end of the road roller frame, being suspended by the towing truck and the rear end riding on the. cushioned wheels I2.

When the towing truck T arrives at the desired destination, wedge blocks I 6 are again placed in proper position adjacent the rolls B and D of the road roller, and the road roller then pushed up the incline by the truck onto the flat upper por tion of said blocks. The threaded coupling pin 3 is then screwed upwardly out of engagement with draw bar 6, and the cushion-tired wheels I2 removed fromv tube ,9 with their stub axles I4. The road roller is run down the wedge blocks I6 under its own power and on to its work.

When the transporting wheels I2 are removed, there will be no projecting parts or portions extending beyond the sides or end of the road roller frame, and hence the road roller may be operated in close proximity to curbs, trees and other fixed obstructions.

The above construction is simple, inexpensive, and easy to operate, and dispenses with the necessity of providing the usual low fiat truck I upon which theroad roller must be run for transportation; thereby dispensing with the cost of such truck incident to the use thereof.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle having a wheel supported frame, a member connected with the front end of the frame and disposed on the longitudinal axis thereof means associated with the member adapted to engage a towing truck and suspend the said end of the frame thereon; bearing members carriedby the other end of the frame at opposite sides thereof; and ground wheels removably journaled in the said bearing members and supporting said other end of the frame; said members together providing a threepoint suspension for the vehicle whereby the wheels of the vehicle will be maintained above the road surface during transportation.

2. In means as set forth in claim 1, the bearing members terminating within the area of the frame.

3. In means as set forth in claim 1, said suspending means comprising a casting secured to the frame and having a tapped bore; a manually rotatable pin having a threaded portion engaging the tapped bore, and adapted to engage a depression in a draw bar on the end of the towing truck; and means independent of the pin for elevating the frame whereby the pin and depression may be aligned.

CARL- F. GREIN ER. 

